WILLMAR — Fire hydrants in the city of Willmar are being flushed by the Willmar Municipal Utilities Water Department crews for the next several weeks.
The city has about 1,500 public and 500 private fire hydrants that the crews flush every spring and about half in the fall according to Scott Schultz, Water Department foreman.
The department flushes out the fire hydrants to test the flow of water for future fire use and increase the velocity of the water through the water main, Schultz said. Increasing the velocity through the water main picks up naturally occurring sediment, like iron and manganese, that might have settled out of the water which in turn helps to improve local water quality.
When crews are flushing the fire hydrants, area residents may notice low water pressure that will return to normal once they are finished.
1/5: A semi-truck drives through water along 19th Avenue southwest while Willmar Municipal Utilities water department crews flush fire hydrants Thursday morning in Willmar. The city has about 1,500 public and 500 private fire hydrants that the crews flush every spring and about half in the fall according to Scott Schultz, Municipal Utilities water department foreman. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
2/5: Matt Kaderlik of the Willmar Municipal Utilities water department places a traffic cone in front of a flushing fire hydrant to ensure drivers know to steer clear of the water along 19th Avenue southwest Thursday morning in Willmar. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
3/5: Scott Schultz, Municipal Utilities water department foreman, uses a wrench to slow the velocity of the water that flushes through a fire hydrant along 19th Avenue southwest Thursday morning in Willmar. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
4/5: A car drives through water from flushed fire hydrants along 19th Avenue southwest Thursday morning in Willmar. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
5/5: Matt Kaderlik of the Willmar Municipal Utilities water department flushes a fire hydrant along 19th Avenue southwest Thursday morning in Willmar. When crews are flushing the fire hydrants, area residents may notice low water pressure that will return to normal once they are finished. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
Erica Dischino is a photojournalist for the West Central Tribune and Forum News Service. She grew up in northern New Jersey and has lived in the Midwest since 2017. She enjoys photographing the stories of west central Minnesota from county fairs, parades and pandemics. Feel free to contact her at edischino@wctrib.com or 320-894-8865 with your best photo ideas.
